Ingeniously unique in game concept, play method and board design: the goal is to slide your pieces along lines to an empty circle and to block the next player from being able to slide. Rules include an advanced variation and four solitaires. Beautiful wood board, 14x14", is laser-engraved and handfinished. Four colors of acrylic counters have contrasting felt on top for a yin-yang effect. Each color gets 6 counters plus a crown. For 1 to 4 players, ages 10 to adult.$59

COLORMAZETM ... by Dwayne Mears
Originally a thesis in design by a future urban planner, this good family game is versatile, too: it's playable as two games of strategy, plus two categories of solitaire puzzle. In Colormaze, form a 6-color pattern with tiles on the board to match the secret pattern on your card, while strategy options may let you reposition tiles on the board. In Alphamaze, gain points by getting 5 different colors in a row, or blocking opponents' colors. The black 18" vinyl game mat really makes the bright acrylic tiles stand out.

AfabulouscompanionforColormaze...

FLYING COLORSTM
... by Stephen SnidermanA Games 100 selection for 2002. With 12 additional tiles and a bag of black and white stones, the Colormaze set's possibilities expand to over 1000 different and original games! The 40-page book of variations, especially for games that never have a tie, also adds many intriguing solitaire puzzles using the 36 tiles, 6 each in 6 colors, a rainbow-like visual treat.

Michael's goal was to create a meta-game for rule-changing but with a fixed slate of rules, unlike the fluid game of Nomic. The rules on 9 wood tiles determine how the players may move their pieces, trade tiles, and win. A rule is activated when a player's piece enters a correspondingly shaped tile, and the previously active rule turns off. A placement phase precedes movement. Experienced players can sometimes win even before movement begins. For 2 players, ages 12 to adult. Choose the deluxe wood version or the travel set:

A Games 100 selection for 2002. This game is one of our most popular and handsome sets, from the inventor of Transpose. Get just five of your twelve pawns into your opponent's end zone while eluding capture. Two pawns move on every turn by dice rolls, and capturing is as in chess. Rules for three other games and many moving and jumping puzzles are included. Nice touches are the two wood dice and tailored carrybag. For 1 and 2 players, ages 8 to adult. Made in two attractive styles.

More! A fifth game, Sidle, has the same goal, different way to play. Four unique stick dice can roll any number from 0 to 14. Move that many steps forward or back, then sideways any open distance to line up the next move. A capturing move earns another turn.

A totally unique concept, play method and board design: the goal is to bring all 16 of your pieces onto the board. When two pieces on the board meet on adjacent intersections, a new piece enters on the third vertex that completes a triangle with the original two. Pieces of your own color that formed the doorway are turned over to show they've been used once. Use them twice and they "retire" from the board to re-enter on a future turn. Your best strategies involve your opponent's pieces to help bring your own onto the board. Rules include a second game, "David and Goliath," and some solitaires. Beautiful wood board, 17x17", is laser-engraved and handfinished. Dark and light wood counters have felt on one side. For 1 or 2 players, ages 10 to adult.$65

Another brilliant innovation of strategy: having "More" is not the only goal. Win by having more than 18 or less than 7 of your color on top. Jump your piece over others  every jump reverses the pieces jumped over (either player's). Sometimes it pays to reduce your own holdings and go for the "Less" goal. Intense! Striking 17" handcrafted wood board is engraved with intricate decagonal matrix of intersections, an artwork in its own right. 25 reversible wood counters. Two square see-through markers slide along the game name to track turns, a maximum of 12 per game. One or two players, ages 10 to adult.$65